G. Penzo: Sandblasted Olivewood Skater (Shell) (A) Tobacco Pipe

Giacomo Penzo earned his university degree in Industrial Design, and a perusal of his pipes certainly indicates extraordinary professional standards in design. This olivewood Skater is an excellent example. I've never seen an oliveood virgin finish before, and it's amazing. It looks like windswept sand dunes. The cragginess of the blast reveals winding lanes of grain that mesmerize and gratify, while its in-hand feel is a tactile bouquet of variation. The pointed heel is among this pipe's most profound characteristics. Place your thumb over it at various positions and you'll see how dramatically different this pipe could have been with just a couple of millimeters of change. But the undercurve leading to the heel point is a perfect echo of the bowl's forward curve, and generates a visual impression of lift to the bowl. Add to all this the hand-cut cumberland stem, which contrasts elegantly with the sandstone finish, and you have a pipe that will darken and evolve personality for decades to come.